Automatic speed control for railway-trains.



G. L. BOPP.

AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROL FOR RAILWAY TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1913.

1,1 14,434. Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

2 SHEBTS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses (Ittornegs G. L. BOPP. 4

AUTOMATIC SPEED CONTROL FOR RAILWAY TRAINS. I APPLICATION FILED MAT 16, 1913. 1,1 14,434. Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3nventor 67/ fun L. B witnesses EH ,1 g

cLmroN 1.. homes HAWKEYE, Iowa. aoromarrc srnsn CONTROL rose RAILWAY-TRAINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

Application filed May 16, 1918. Serial N 0. 788,139.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLIN'roN L. BOPP, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Hawkeye, in the county of Fayette and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Speed Control for Railway-Trains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enable ot ers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to in provements in automatic speed controllin devices for steam railways, electric rai...ways, and the like, and an object of the invention is to provide a system wherein an excess of a predetermined speed at any required time will result in the setting of the brakes to stop the train.

A further object of thejnvention is to provide a rotating indicating tape and means controlled by the speed of the engine eotiperating with the tape to regulate the speed of the engine according to a predetermined desig. ation upon the tape.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a generator deriving its driving 'force from one of the axles of the car or locomotive, there being associated with this axle generator a coil having suspended therein a magnetic needle to be deflected in proportion to the rotations of the axle, there being suitable regulating means operated by the magnetic needle for stopping the train under predetermined conditions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a local circuit upon the car or locomotive adapted to be closed as the car or locomotive passes a station, the closing of this local circuit resulting in the energization of suitable electro-magnets for actuating the tape-carried means for regulating the speed of the engine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a shaft or spindle magnetically controlled, having mounted-thereon a plurality of disks adapted to engage suitable contact members for eontrolling the circuit of the air brakes, these contact members being actuated by means carried on the indicatingtape, these means being spaced upon the tape to agree with any particular section of track over which the car or Iocomo tive is designed to move.

'With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel construcparts as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, where one embodiment 9f the invention has been shown, and wherein similar reference characters designate correspondin parts: Figure l isa diagrammatic view 0 the locomotive circuits used in carrying out this invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the actuating coil and dial showing the pointer and controlling spring in elevation. Fig. '3 is a side view of the indicating tape. Fig. 4c is a perspective View of the magnetically controlled shaft carrying a modified form of disk.

The present invention is carried out genthe axles of a car or locomotive a suitable generator which is electrically connected with a hollow deflecting coil, there being mounted within this coil a shaft carrying a magnetic needle adapted to be deflected when current passes through the coil, the shaft carrying a suitable pointer and controlling means whereby the strength of the to indicate on a suitable dial the speed of the engine. This shaft carries a plurality of dials, each of which is adapted to engage a pivoted eontact,-eaeh of'thc contacts being actuated by a trip carried by the station indicating tape, the disks and tape levers being so related that a certain indication of the speed by the shaft or levels will be allowed to make electric contact with the circuit, which will maintain the air valve in normal running position, while any other speed will result in turning the disk as to prevent the contact just mentioned from being made so that the air valve will be open tostop the train. Arranged along the track adjacent each station is a ramp rail adapted to contact with a springcarried by the locomotive, this spring serving to close a circuit through a suitable electro-magnet for rotating the station indicating disk through a predetermined distance whenever the car or locomotive passes over the ramp rail. In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a specific embodiment of each of the various elements entering into the in- .yention is shown in the accompanying drawin s.

'eferrin-g to the drawings, particularly tions, combinations, and arrangements of erally by providing upon one or more of current will be made to deflect the pointer' position of the shaft higher than the-allotted U vi ed upon an axle of the car or locomotive a strip of magnetic material 1, this material being secured inany way to the axle and serving to pass before the faces of a U- shapedmagnet or bar of magnetic material- 2, this member 2 being carried by the car or locomotive. Surrounding the U-shaped bar is a 'pairof magnetic coils 3, these magnetie-coils being roperly insulated and protected. It is wel understood that whenever magnetic flux is caused to rise and fall through a coil of wire there will be gener ated within that coil an electro-motive force proportional to the rate of cutting of the linesof force. In the present instance the setting up of the lines of force within the core of the coil is obtained by making the member 1 a permanent magnet, from which construction it will be obvious that every time the axle turns so as to bring the magnet 1 before the faces of the core 2 there will be set up within the core lines of force which must necessarily cut through coils 3 and thereby generate the electro-motive force. Evidently the faster, the axle turns, due to the motion of the car or locomotive, the

higher will be the elcctro-motive force generated within the coils 3. it is to be under- Stood that any precautions may be taken for preventingundue jarring of the magnet which will result in the weakening of the same, and further that the moving parts may be so changed with respect to each other as may be made necessary by operating conditions, the one requisite being that the magnetic field through the coil shall change in proportion to the speed of the engine. Leading from one of the coils 3 is a wire 4 terminating in one of the metal points of the double throw switch 5, this switch when in a position shown in Fig. 1 being adapted to connect wire 1 with wire 5, which wire runs to a deflecting coil (3 carried in any suitable manner by the locomotive and so placed as to make associated parts visible. There is leading from this coil a return wire 7 connected to the other side of switch 5', the wire 8 serving as a return to the coils 3. By reason of the closed circuit through coil 6 and the coils 3 it will be obvious that the running of the train will be accompanied by a setting up of magnetic flux in the 'coil (3, the direction of the lines of force being controlled by the position of the reversing switch 5. Adapted to pass through the center of the deflecting coil (3 is a spindle 9 )ivoted in suitable bearings 10 and 11, these bearings being made adjustable if desired and being made in any one of the approved styles common to the construction of mag netically controlled measurin instruments. Secured'rigid with the spindle 9 is a ma netic needle 12, this magnetic needle being located within the coil 6 and being of such proportions as to be turned freely by the flux threading through the coil. A control I for the needle 12 is shown at 13, the particular control shown being a spiral spring, one end of which is connected to the coil, while the other end is secured to the shaft 9, the-action of these controlling sprin s being well known. Rigid with the sha t 9 is a pointer 14 adapted to pass over a dial 15- may be used for setting the zero of the dialv or scale under the pointer when the engine is standing still, these adjusting means being well known and not shown in the drawin s. v

igid with the shaft 9 is a plurality of disks, two being shown in the drawings for the purpose of illustration, indicated at 16,

and 17 respectively. As shown in Fig. 1, the disks are identical in form, being cam shaped, thes'e cam disks being shown in theformof a scroll, although this particular construction is by no means the only form of disk which may be used. As shown in the drawings, there is an angular displacement between the apices of the disks, the apex of the lower disk 17 being in advance of the apex of the-disk 16. Pivoted to the frame of the locomotiveat suitable points are contact springs adapted to cooperate with the cam disks carried by the shaft 9, there being two of these spring contacts shown in the drawings, namely 18 and 19. The contact or spring ends of. these members 18 and 19 are designed to lie in the paths of the rotating cam disks 16 and 17, the other ends of the contact springs being provide with rollers,-the spring 18 carrying the roller 20, while the spring 19 carries roller 21. The ends of the spring contacts carrying the rollers are adapted, to over balance the contact ends adjacent the disks so that the said contact ends are always constrained to remain upwardly to make electrical contact with circuits to be described hereinafter.

The station indicator comprises a pair of rollers 22 and 23 respectively, the tape 24 trained around these rollers having secured thereto trips 25 and 26, these trips being per homa, In order that this fact may be I 21 and thereby depress spring oontactl!) as .soon as the designation concerning the bridge appears through the opening 28.- If some other speed were required it would be communicated to the regulating mechanism by means of the second trip 26. One end of the roller 22 is provided with a gear 29 adapted to engage a pawl arm 36 connected to a core 31 adapted to move within the solenoids 32. By reason of the catch 33 it will be seen that each time-the solenoidv32 is energized the pawl arm will be raised and the tape thereby rotated.

.I lnder normal conditions, when there is no restriction concerning the speed of the car or locomotive the generator 34, driven in any suitable manner, will send current over brush 35, wire 36, wire 37, .wire 38, spring contact 18, contact point 39, wire 40, spring contact 19, contact 41, wire 42, electro-magnet 43, wire 44 wire 45, air brake controlling solenoid 46, wire 47 wire 48, brush 49, back to the generator 34. This circuit is closed when the spring 18- is in the dotted position shown in Fig. 1. Current flowing in this circuit will keepfthe electro-nragnet 43 normally energized, and will also keep the solenoid 46 energized continuously, the energization of the solenoid resulting in the holding of the plunger 50 in upward position. When the plunger 50 is raised passage through the air duct 51 is ciat off, this condition being accompanied by an open position 'of the brakes, as is'well understood in the art of air brakes. For the purpose of illustration it'will be considered that the train has just passed the station at station 1, and is approaching a bridge whose speed limit is eight miles. The circuit just traced will 0btain until the locomotive engages a ramp circuit will energize solenoids 32, the result of which will be the attraction of the cores 31 carrying the pawl arm 30, which will resuit? in turning the tape until the designation G0 concerning the bridge is visible through the opening 28. As soon as shoe 53-leaves ramp rail 52 of course the circuit through soleholds 32 will be broken, but insomuch as "the descent of the arm 30 in no way operates the w ratchetor gear 29,'the tape will remain stationary. Just as the tape turns the trip 25 will raise the roller 21 and thereby constrain the spring contact 19 to move downwardly. If the pointer 14 is over the graduation indicating eight miles per hour or over any graduation indicatin less than eight miles the spring contact W1 1 be able to descend tothe limit of its lower movement, insomuch as the apex of the cam or scroll 17 will not be in a position to contact the spring 19. Under these conditions current will flow in a circuit identical with the circuit above traced, except that instead of passing to point 41, the current will pass from spring 19 to lower contact 59, the rest of the circuit remaining intact. Hence, the solenoid 46 controlling the air valve will be maintained energized, the interval lapsing between the breaking of contact 41 and the making of contact 59 being so small that the plunger 50 will not have time to open the air duct 51. Therefore under these conditions the train will continue in its course, and the air brakes will not be set.

the car or locomotive be traveling at a speed However, should greater than eight miles the apex of the cam or scroll 17, which is rigid with shaft 9 and moving with indicator 14, will have moved to such a position as to engage the spring 19 and prevent contact between said spring 19 and the lower contact point 59. Therefore, when the train exceeds the speed indicated upon the tape the circuit above traced to the solenoid 46 will be opened, insom-uch as the spring contact is not in engagement with either the upper contact 41 or the lower contact 59. The breaking of the circuit through solenoid 46 will result in the dropping of the plunger 50 so that the air duct 51v will be 0 ened and the air brakes namely fifteen miles per hour, appears through the opening 28. This raising of the roller 20 will result in the depression of the cbntact spring 18, and should the speed of the locomotive be fifteen miles or under the said spring 18 will not engage the apex of the cam 16 and will be enabled to descend to the lower limit of its movement and make contact with lower contact (30. Insomuch as under these conditions the roller 21 is not engaged but is in its lowermost positigm, the contact spring 19 will engage the contact 41 so that circuit will be complete through the solenoid 46.

'However, should the speed exceed fifteen miles then the cam 16 will have turned until the same is engaged by the descending 001$? tact spring .18, and contact will bebitokenthrough .the solenoid 46 in a manner similar to that described in connection with spring 19. It is to be understood, of course, that there may be provided as many rollers, trips, contact'springs and disks with their attending contact points as there are dilierent speed limitations over any particular stretch of track upon which the locomotive "equipped with the present invention is designed'to run. The trips carried by the -;tap e will be spaced with respect to their relative positionwith regardto the differ- 'ent stations, and also with respect to the speed limitations which they are-designed to impose upon the locomotive. This 15 ae-' vcomplished by having all of the trips limiting the speed of thelocomotive to fifteen miles arranged in the same path, this artrips to operate with the fifteen mile disk and its sprin In order to insure that the trips Wlll engage the rollers at the proper tune, the trips designed to limit themotion of the train to a predetermined speed will be'arranged to move in the same path and will be spaced similarly to the corresponding indications in'the tape A similar arrangeme'nt is made for the trips at an y-other magnetic needle 12.

speed, it being apparent that the total number of trips .will be the same as the total number of speed indications, but that their distribution will be afiected in accordame with the manner just described.

By providing the reversing switch 5 it will be seen that the invention may be used upon trains going either forward or backward, it being merely necessary to reverse the position oi the switch 5 every time the direction of the train is reversed, this reversing the switch 5 resulting in reversing the polarity of the deflecting coil 6 and thereby reversing the force acting upon the if desired there may be inserted 'ithin the circuit including the deflecting coil 6 and the generating coils 3 an auxiliary source of clertro-motive force, this auxiliary elei-tro-motivc l'orce operating with the generating coils to set up sutiicient' flux through the deflecting coils (3 when the train is running. The polarity of this auxiliary source of current would of course have tobe reversed each time the switch 5' was thrown. If for-any reason the engineer or operator of the car or tl':il1l- Sl1()lll(l desire to disregard the indications on the tape, and prevent the automatic setting of the brakes he will merely push a button 61, which slidably engages a contact lever 62 preferably insulated from the frame, this lever being ope ated by means of a spring orother controlling .device 63. Insomuch as electromagnet 43 is in series with solenoid 46 it will be apparent that every time the solenoid 46 becomes deenergized eleetro-magnet 43 will become deenergized and armature S t will drop down. Therefore, when the button 60 is pressed the lever 62 will be caught under catch 65 carried by the armature 6-1 and contact will be made at point 66, at which time current will flow in the following circuit: generator 34, wire 35, wire 36, wire 67, contaet lever 62, contact 66, wire, 68,v wire 45, solenoid 46, wire 47, wire 48, brush {19, back to the gcne'ator 34:. Thus. the pressing of the lever 61 will result in the continued maintenance of current through the solenoid 4-6 and the brakes will not be set.

As shown in Fig. 4:- the disks may be formed differently from the disks shown in Fig. 1, and still accomplish the same result; The modified formof disk shown at 69 may be provided with slots 70 adapted to coiiperate with teeth 71 carried by the spring contacts 19. A second disk 72 may be provided with a slot 73 adapted to engage with .a tooth 74 carried by the contact spring ,18.

These slots 70 and 73 may be spaced in a.

manner substantially similar to the description given with respect to thetapices of the (am disks 16 and 17. There are. a number of dill'erent forms of cams and contact springs which will accomplish the result accomplishcd by the two forms of spring shown herein and it is to be understood that the iin'ontion is not limited in any way tomeans for breaking the spring contact at one point under certain conditions, and

means carried by the shaft for preventing said spring from making contact with the other of said points under other conditions, and means for encrgizing the deflecl' coil 2. In an automatic speed COl'ltlOli. g de wire, a deflecting coil means whereby said (oil is energized in proportion to the speed of the train, a shaft rotatably mounted passing through the coil and adapted to be turned'm proportion to the energlzation of the deflecting eo-il,-an air valve, a circuit' controlling the air valve, a spring con-tact interposed in said circuit and adapted to close said circuit at either one oi two points,

means for breaking contact of said spring withone of said points undercertain conditici'is and means carried by the shaft adapted to prevent said spring from closing contact on the other point) whenzthe- 'shaft is-in:

' valve-controlling circuit. embracing said piva predetermined position,

In an automati speed cont-rolling de- 1 vice, a deflecting cgl means whereby said il is energized in. "of the train, a'sha t passing through said 2-" rdportion to the speed coil and providedmith means for turning said shaft in proportion to the energization of the deflecting coil, a plurality of spring contacts, an air valve, a circuit'controlling said air valve including said spring contacts in series, means for moving said springs to break said circuit under certain conditions and interference members carried by the shaft in the path of the said springs,

said interference members limiting the movement of the springs under certain conditions and bein out of engaging position with respect to the springs under other conditions. v

4:. In ad automatic speed cont-rolling device, a shaft "adapted to turn through an angular distance proportionate to the speed of theftrain, an electric air valve, a circuit controlling the air valve, a contact spring interposed in said circuit and adapted to close said circuit at either one of two points,

means for moving said spring contact away from one of. said points when traveling at a predetermined speed and a cam disk rigid with the shaft and adapted to engage the ,spring'contact toprevent closure upon the other of said points when the shaft has moved through a predetermined angular distance. r

In an automatic speed controlling device, a station indicating tape, a pivotally mounted contact member, stationary contacts adjacent one end of said pivotally mounted member, the pivotaliy mounted contactmember adapted to contact with said stationary contacts one at a time and being imrnmlly in contact'withone of said stationary contacts, means carried by the tape engaging the other end of thecontact member adapted to break said contact, an electric circuit embracing said contact member and either ofthe stationary contacts and a spiral cam disk rotated through an angular dis tance proportionate to the velocity of the train, said disk adaptedto engage the contact member.

6; In an automatic 5 eed controlling device, a cam disk, means or rotating said cam disk through angles proportionate to the speed of the locomotive, aivotally mounted contact meinber'one end 0 which is adapted to contact with the apex of the cam disk, a pair of stationary contacts adjacent one end of the pivotally mounted contact member, said pivotally mounted contact member adapted to-engage the stationary contacts one at a time and normally engaging one of said contacts, a tape, means carried by the tape adapted to raise the other end of the contact member, an air valve, and ;an air otally mounted contact member and either of the stationary contacts. I

7.- In an automatic speed controlling device a spiral cam, means for rotating the cam 'diskthrough angular distances propor; tionate to the speed of the locomotive, a ivotallv mounted contact member one on of pivotally mounted contact member to break contact with the stationary member normally engaging the other end of the pivotally mounted contact member, said contacting end of the pivotally mounted contact adapted to engage the apex of the camwhen the locomotive is moving at a predetermined speed and be held outof contact with saidstationary contacts an air valve, and an air valve controlling circuit embracing the con- -tacting end of the pivotallymounted contact and cit-herof stationary contacts.

8. In an automatic speed controlling device, a rotatably mounted shaft, means for turning said shaft through angular distances proportionate to the speed of the locomotive, an electrically controlled air valve, a circuit embracing said "air valve control, a spring interpcsedinsaid circuit and adapted to complete said circuit at either one of two points, said spring normally c'losing'the 'circuit at one of said points, means'for break? ing contact between said sprin point, and means carried by the s aft-adapt- U and said ed to engage said spring when the locomotiveis traveling ata predetermined speed}. held out of contact with said spring bein v the two pomtso the circuit.-

9. In an automatici-speed controllingde-- vice a shaft adapted toturn through angular distances proportionate to the speed of the a locomotive, an electrically controlled air valve, a circuit including said air. valve, a plurality of pivotally mounted contact members interposed in series insaid circuit, one end of each of said contact members adapted'to make contact with said CHClllt at either one cf two points, each of sald contact ,m'embers adapted to make contact normally with said circuit, spiral cam disks mounted on said shaft in alinement with said contact members, the apices of the cam dlsks being separated by a predetermined angular 'd-1stance with respect to the axis of the shaft, means for moving the other end of each of said contact members, to breakuthe circuit the apex of one of said cam disks adapted to engage one of said pivotal contafct members to hold the contacting end thereof. out of contact with the adjacent stationary contacts. V

- '10. In an automatic speed controlling device, a deflectin coil, a. magnetic member conditions, means rigid with the rotatably mounted magnetic member for preventing. 15

said pivot-zilly mounted member from making contact with the other of said points under other cond1t1ons and means for energizing the coil.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 20 in presence of two witnesses.

CLINTON L. BOPP.

Witnesses CLYDE A. 'MUNsoN, L. E. Borr. 

